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Although they weren’t quite at the game-changing level as WWE would have fans believe, D-Generation X were still a very popular and successful faction within The Attitude Era, pushing the boundaries of what could and couldn’t be done on live television. It also helped to catapult the careers of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, and helped to push Chyna as a major star, in addition to establishing a top tag team in the New Age Outlaws. In 2006, for the first time in several years, Triple H and Shawn Michaels reunited under the DX name in WWE, which felt like a big deal. Their first feud after returning though was a little questionable, as it came against… The Spirit Squad.

Vince McMahon Used The Spirit Squad In His Feud With Shawn Michaels

In 2006, Shawn Michaels was feuding with Vince McMahon and his son, Shane. This feud went through WrestleMania 22 when Michaels and McMahon battled in a brutal No Holds Barred match. Other notable moments of this rivalry came when Shawn Michaels teamed up with God to take on the McMahons at the Backlash PPV (with “God” also getting a huge entrance). Throughout this rivalry, McMahon decided to enlist some help in his war with Michaels.

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Shawn Michaels jumping on Vince McMahon

He recruited the Spirit Squad, made up of Nicky, Kenny, Johnny, Mitch, and Mikey. These were a group of individuals from OVW who would form a stable of male cheerleaders, with this gimmick idea coming directly from McMahon himself. This led to McMahon having a huge numbers advantage over Michaels, as his lackeys did a lot of his dirty work (whilst also winning the World Tag Team Titles along the way). Michaels was in need of some help, and it came in the form of his best friend.

The Spirit Squad Were The Butt Of DX’s Jokes And Pranks

Over a few months, Triple H and Michaels were brought together, with the McMahon’s and the Spirit Squad acting as a common enemy. This led to an official DX reunion after Michaels came to Triple H’s aid during a gauntlet match against the five cheerleaders. From there, The Spirit Squad essentially became punching bags for DX whenever they couldn’t get their hands on the McMahon family, and they were at the butt of many jokes, segments, and pranks.

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The Spirit Squad v Team WWE Legends Survivor Series 2006

For instance, The Spirit Squad were doused in both green slime, which led to them slipping and sliding all over the entrance stage, and then in feces, which was quite disgusting. More often than not, it was Michaels and Triple H who were laughing after these interactions, with the Spirit Squad very rarely getting the upper hand, and that was reflected in matches too. They did pick up a win inside a Steel Cage against Michaels, but that came before the DX reunion, at which point they had very little chance against the former World Champions.

DX Won Their Matches Against The Spirit Squad Despite The Numbers Disadvantage

At the 2006 Vengeance PPV, DX faced off against Spirit Squad in the main event of the show in a 5-on-2 handicap match. During the bout, the heels got some offense due to the fact they had more team members, but when all was said and done, it was a glorified squash match with DX overcoming the odds to defeat the five other men. For just a team of two to overcome a three-man disadvantage, it says a lot about where everyone was positioned on the card, with the Spirit Squad designed to put over the bigger stars rather than to make a name for themselves. To make matters worse, one member of the Spirit Squad, Mitch, was forced to kiss Triple H’s behind, in a reference McMahon’s “Kiss My Ass” Club.

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A rematch happened on a special episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, in which DX would win in a handicap match once again, and in this instance it was in about half the time. Things quickly went downhill for the Spirit Squad, with their time as a faction coming to an end when DX locked all the members in a crate, and shipped them back off to OVW, writing them off TV in an absolutely bizarre way which summed up their glorified jobber status at the time (though they played the role absolutely perfectly).

DX Vengeance 2006 Cropped

Overall, this feud ended up being one of the most one-sided in WWE history, with the Spirit Squad not winning a match against the pair once DX got reformed. They were at the receiving end of humiliation, losses, and were treated as afterthoughts after a while, especially when they were just essentially there as minor obstacles on DX’s way to get their hands on Vince and Shane McMahon. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that it was one-sided though, and the feud did produce some memorable moments when all was said and one.